Method and apparatus for removing yarn from yarn packages



METHOD AND APPARATUS Fo'R REMOVING YARN FROM YARN PACKAGES Filed Oct. 22, 1949 Pt- 18, 1951 M. B. COLEMAN SR 2,567,990

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Patented Sept. 18, 1951 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING YARN FROM YARN PACKAGES Melvin B. Coleman; Sr., Roanoke, Va., assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application October 22, 1949, Serial No. 123,069

(Cl. 24a-1) 16 Claims.

- This invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically removing yarn from a yarn package. More particularly the invention relates to the removal of damaged or inferior yarn from the exterior of finished rayon packages or cakes. The removal of the yarn is accomplished continuously, that it to say, without a break in operations or handling of the yarn during its manufacture. While the invention is primarily concerned with the removal of yarn from rayon cakes, it is equally applicable to other yarn packages, such as spools, bobbins, cones, and the l e. I

In the manufacture of rayon from viscose by the centrifugal spinning pot method, the-yarn is collected in a spinning box or pot rotating at high speed. The outer layers of thread or yarn, i. e. the layers next to the wall of the boxor pot, become damaged and are inferiorin quality and hence must be removed from the annular form of yarn package. This has usually been done before the yarn package is covered prior to liquid treatment. Removing the outer layers of yarn at this point has been unsatisfactory since the yarn in thegreen or newly formed state is weak and consequently subject to frequent breaks during stripping because dirt and crystals hardened on the surface of the cake prevent the yarn from stripping efliciently. Also, the green cakes of yarn are handled frequently subsequent to the stripping resulting in further damage to the yarn.

It has been found to be advantageous to remove the outer or inferior yarn from the rayon package at the last practical stage in the handling of the cakes prior to shipment. This is so because the outside layer of inferior yarn protects the remainder of the package from further damage during the subsequent treatment and handling. Thus the waste is cut down considerably.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for stripping yarn from yarn packages.

Another object is to provide a means for unwinding yarn from a yarn package which is automatic and continuous requiring a minimum amount of handling.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for unwinding or stripping damaged or inferior yarn from the exterior of rayon yarn cakes at the last practical stage in the handling of the cakes prior to shipment.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

conveyor, along the circuitous path. The yarn'.

end of each package is threaded through an overhead yarn holder or guide. The supporting units move along the circuitous path past a yarn stripping or unwinding device where the threaded yarn ends are caught and directed to the yarn stripping device. As the supporting units continue along the circuitous path the yarn is .unwound from the packages. The supporting units then pass a cutter where the unwinding yarn. is

caught and cut. The conveyor then carries the supporting units to an unloading area where the stripped packages are removed. The supporting units proceed along the circuitous path, more yarn packages are placed on the same, and the cycle is repeated.

While the present invention is described with reference to regenerated cellulose yarns made from viscose, it is to be understood that the same is equally applicable to other artificial and natural yarns, such as cellulose acetate, nitrocellulose, cotton, wool, synthetic resinous yarns, such as Vinyon, nylon, etc., and the like.

Referring to the drawings, thereis an overhead conveyor 3 comprising an eye-beam or track 4 on which run the wheels 5 attached to a draw-- ing chain 6 by means of curved supporting pieces I, the chain supporting a bar 8 to which the cake rack or support 9 is attached. In order to prevent the cake rack from swaying from side to side, the supporting bar 8 travels between two continuous guides III which are supported from.

the top of track 4 by means of the supporting bars H. The cake supporting unit is preferably so arranged as to have cakes supported on both sides of the overhead conveyor. If desired, cakes may be supported only on one side. In the drawings, since the apparatus is the same on both sides, only one side has been shown in Figures 2 and 3, Although the invention is shown and described with an overhead supported conveyor,

- any suitable type conveyor may be employed, for.

example, a conveyor mounted on tracks positioned on the floor, etc.

On the supporting unit or cake rack 9 there are two rows of yarn package or cake supports l2 and I2A terminating in upwardly extending pegs l3 and I 3A. These pegs are interchangeable depending on the size of the yarn package to be placed thereon. In Figure 2. the pe s I! and ISA are the type adapted for use with rayon cakes. Prior to placing the cakes on the pegs, a cylindrical cuff or tube I4 is placed on the same which cuii or tube may be of cardboard, plastic, fiber board, or the like. The cloth covered cakes I! are removed from the cake rack l6 and placed on the holders I3, ISA and the cake uncovered.

"The cakes are uncovered by turning the lower portion of the cover down over the base of the holder as shown at I! and tucking the upper portion of the cover into the cylindrical cufl' or tube H as shown at Ill. The ends of the yarn or thread are then passed through the guide I and the loose ends 20 allowed to hang down almost to the cakes.

As the conveyor carries the supporting units or cake racks 9 along the circuitous path, the loose ends of yarn 20 are caught or picked up by the positioning guides 2| and are drawn into the" stripping unit 22. The stripping unit comprises a cylindrical conduit 23 to which the positioning guides 2| are attached, and having in its end an opening 24 to which the guides 2| direct the yarns. A pipe line 25 attached to the opposite end of the conduit 23 communicates therewith. Into the pipe line 25 there extends an ejector or compressed air line 26, the air stream being directed away from the opening 24 in the conduit 23. The pipe line 25 extends down into the box 21. Due to the high velocity of expanding compressed air, a vacuum is created at the opening in the conduit 23 drawing the yarns 20 into the pipe line 25 and down into the yarn depositing box 21. Thus the yarn is stripped or unwound from the cake or yarn package.

While the yarn is being stripped from the cakes, the conveyor 3 carries the supporting units 9 along the circuitous path and they approach the cutting mechanism 28. The yarns, which are still drawn through the guides l9, are caught by the positioning guides 29 and directed into the nip of the rotating circular knife blades 30 of the rotary cutter 3|. While it is preferred to use a rotary type cutter, any cutter may be employed such as a straight blade cutter and the like. The yarns are cut and the loose ends drawn into the box 21 by the stripping mechanism 22. The supporting units continue along the continuous path, the stripped cakes are removed from the supports, and the conveyor carries the empty supporting units back to the loading position and the cycle is repeated. All these operations are performed continuously without stopping the conveying means.

By means of the present invention, approximately the same amount of yarn is stripped from each cake thus insuring uniformity. In ordinary stripping where it is done by hand, two little or too much yarn may be stripped from each cake. The present invention is advantageous in that the yarn is stripped from the cake and cut automatically with a. minimum amount of handling. The entire operation above described may be accomplished while the yarn packages or cakes are being transferred from one operation to another as the same is being processed.

In the present invention more yam caku can be handled in a shorter time. The yarn cake supports are positioned on both sides of the overhead conveyor as are the stripping and cutting mechanisms, thus insuring an increased amount of production over that with previous methods of stripping.

By means of the present invention, in addition to stripping approximately the same amount from each cake, the amount stripped oi! the cakes may be varied by changing the speed with which the conveyor travels or by varying the distance between the stripping and cutting mechanism.

It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for stripping yarn packages comprising yarn package conveying means, yarn stripping means, yarn cutting means positioned after the stripping means in the direction of travel of the conveying means, said stripping and cutting means being disposed on both sides of and adjacent the path of the conveying means.

2. .An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the yarn stripping means a pneumatic yarn stripping means.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the yarn cutting means is a rotary cutting means.

4. An apparatus ,for stripping yarn packages comprising yarn package supporting means, means for conveying the supporting means through a circuitous path, p eumatic yarn stripping means. yarn guiding means on the stripping means, rotary yarn cutting means positioned after the stripping means in the direction of circuitous travel of the conveying means, said stripping and cutting means being adjacent the circuitous path of the conveying means.

5. An apparatus for stripping yarn packages comprising yarn package supporting and conveying means arranged in a circuitous .path, pneumatic yarn stripping means, yarn guiding means on the stripping means, rotary yarncutting means positioned after the stripping means in the direction of circuitous travel of the conveying means, yarn guiding means on the cutting means, said stripping and cutting means beinggadjacent the circuitous path of the conveyingmeans.

6. An apparatus for stripping yam packages comprising yarn package supporting means. means for conveying the supporting means through a circuitous path, yarn guiding means on the supporting means and spaced from the yarn packages, yarn stripping means, yarn cutting means positioned after the stripping meansin the direction of circuitous travel of the conveying means, said strippipg and conveying means being adjacent the circuitous path of the conveying means.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the stripping means is a pneumatic stripping means having yarn guiding means attached thereto.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 whereinthe cutting means is a rotary cutting means having yarn guiding means attached thereto.

9. An apparatus for stripping yarn packages comprising yarn package supporting means, means for conveying the supporting means through a circuitous path, yam guiding means on the supporting means and positioned abovethe yarn packages, pneumatic stripping means. yam guiding means attached to the stripping means, rotary yarn cutting means positioned after the stripping means in the direction of circuitous travel of the conveying means, said stripping and conveying means being adjacent the circuitous path of the conveying means above the supporting means and below the yarn guiding means on the supporting means.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the conveying means is'an overhead single track conveying means.

11. A method of stripping yarn from yarn packages comprising passing the yarn packages through a path while the yarn end hangs loosely from a support positioned away from the yarn package, sucking the yarn away from the yarn package at a point along the path thereby unwinding the yarn from the yarn package, and then cutting the unwinding yarn adjacent the yarn package at another point along the path.

12. A method of stripping yarn from yarn packages as defined in claim 11 wherein the yarn packages are passed continuously through a circuitous path.

13. A method of stripping yarn from yarn packages comprising passing the yarn packages continuously through a circuitous path with the yarn ends passed through a guide above the packages and the loose ends hanging in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the yarn packages, sucking the yarn away from the yarn packages at a point along the circuitous path thereby unwinding the yarn from the yarn package, and then cutting the unwinding yarn adjacent the yarn package at another point along the circuitous path.

14. An apparatus for stripping yarn packages comprising yarn package conveying means, pneumatic yarn stripping means, yam cutting means positioned after the stripping means in the directlon of travel of the conveying means, said strip ping and cutting means being adjacent the path of the conveying means.

15. An apparatus for stripping yarn packages comprising yarn package conveying means, yarn stripping means, rotary yarn cutting means positioned after the stripping means in the direction of travel of the conveying means, said stripping and cutting means being adjacent the path of the conveying means.

16. An apparatus for stripping yarn packages comprising means for conveying a yarn package through a circuitous. path, yarn stripping means, rotary yarn cutting means positioned after the stripping means in the direction of circuitous travel of the conveying means, said stripping and cutting means being adjacent the circuitous path of the conveying means.

MELVIN B. COLEMAN, SR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 18,310 Abbott Dec. 29. 1931 2,426,167 Abbott Aug. 26, 1947 

